Humboldt University Learning Log 1: Statement of Expectations

Tom Clark

Humboldt University

Learning Log 1: Statement of Expectations

In the past few years I have travelled to Russia, Shanghai and India, and whilst I could say that this has

gotten me used to adapting to new environments, I feel that going to Germany is very different because

I will not be visiting as a tourist. Due to the fact that I will be in the country for a whole year, and that I

will be studying, I imagine the process will be unlike anything I’ve experienced before.

One of the main reasons I applied for ERASMUS is so that I can improve my German. To do this I must

mix with other German students and communicate in the language as much as possible. As a relatively

unconfident person I am adamant that this will be a very challenging thing to do. Having spoken to a

number of others who have done a year abroad in Germany, it sounds very easy to simply speak English

for the majority of the time; for example I have heard that English students are quite popular at

Humboldt because it gives the German students a chance to practise their English. I am determined not

to fall into this trap; one solution that has been suggested is for me to speak in German and be spoken

to in English, so that both of us can simultaneously practise our language skills! In this respect I am

expecting the learning curve to be steep, but am nonetheless hoping to progress along it fairly rapidly,

as I will be constantly exposed to German language. Despite my anxiety about this, it is of some comfort

to me that many international friends of mine have settled in at Exeter very well.

Were I participating on the ERASMUS programme a few years ago, I would be expecting to arrive at a

German education system orientated around the old diploma system. However, since the reforms of the

Bologna Process I am expecting to experience modules and course structures that bear a lot of

resemblance to those in the UK. Most interesting for me is what German students make of the new

reforms; there have been widespread protests throughout Germany against them (DW-World, 2009)

and as such I am expecting to encounter a lot of hostility to the new formation of university courses.

Despite this I think there is a possibility that there may not be as much discontent as reports are

suggesting; after all, the protestors could easily comprise a small but vocal minority.

In Berlin I am also expecting to experience a different social side of university. Anecdotal evidence

seems to suggest that there is more emphasis on “student life” in the UK as opposed to merely

academic achievement. What “student life” means is up for debate; it could be as crude as the UK’s

notorious drinking culture or represent a more complex assortment of student activism and socialising.

Nevertheless there is hard evidence to suggest that students on the continent put more time into their

studies (Macleod, 2007)and so I am expecting to see a smaller role for the social aspect of higher

education in Germany.

Overall, I am very intrigued to experience the vibrant culture that Berlin offers, and expect to make the

very most of this by attending events such as the Berlin Film Festival. Whilst I am also fascinated by the

Tom Clark

differences in educational infrastructure and “student experience” between Germany and the UK, I am

also very anxious about the process of adapting to a new culture and a new language. For me however,

the fear and anxiety are what make the experience so worthwhile. For the rest of my life I will

remember how scared I was to begin with and how proud I was when I managed to overcome it; I think

life should be lived by one simple mantra: the more frightening something is, the more worthwhile it is

to do.

Bibliography

DW-World. (2009, June 17). Students Protest Across Germany Against Education Reforms. Retrieved

June 2010, from DW-World: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4328767,00.html

Macleod, D. (2007, September 25). Time Bomb: Students in Europe are getting far more hours of tuition

than those in the UK, says a key study out today. The fallout could be serious. Retrieved June 2010, from

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/sep/25/students.highereducation

Learning Log 2: Experience in settling into the student's new

environment

Arriving in Berlin, the first task I had was to find a permanent place to live. Before I left, I had arranged

to stay in an apartment for three weeks, and during this time I’d planned to find somewhere permanent.

This proved to be very difficult, largely due to the fact that I had my heart set on a flat in one of the most

popular areas of Berlin, and was only looking there. I had to view around fourteen flats before I was

eventually offered a room, which itself wasn’t ideal, because the tenants were four Italians who spoke

very little German. The lesson I learnt was, I think, a very important one: don’t set the bar too high; a

huge amount of stress and inconvenience could have been avoided had I just settled for an apartment in

a less-popular district of Berlin.

It is interesting to experience the university system here. Compared to Exeter, politics students are given

a much wider choice of modules to study, and the modules take a variety of teaching formats. In

addition to this, a student is able to take more modules outside his or her main subject, and can study as

many as he or she wants. Whilst this does mean the student has a lot more academic freedom, it also

leads to a fairly disorganised administrative system and a less structured degree programme. Despite

Germany’s recent adoption of the Bachelor degree system (DW-World, 2009), there are still clear and

noticeable differences in its higher education system.

In my Statement of Expectations, I said that one of my main aims this year was to become fluent in

German, and in order to do so I should speak and engage with native-speakers as much as possible.

Having lived here for around three and a half months now, it has become obvious that this is not as easy

as I originally thought. Being such a vibrant, dynamic city, Berlin accommodates a large number of

Tom Clark

foreign students and is also very multicultural (Savelsberg, 2007), meaning that there aren’t as many

native-speaking Germans as in other parts of the country. The large contingent of international students

at Humboldt has meant that a high proportion of my friends here are not native-speakers. In addition to

this, for the last two months I have been living with four Italian immigrants, none of whom can speak

fluent German. In light of this, one of my aims next term is to endeavour to meet more native-speakers

by either finding a job, volunteering, joining a sports team or taking part in extra-curricular university

courses, such as photography classes.

Despite the fact that they don’t speak German, I have enjoyed living with my flatmates. They told me

that they’d moved from Italy because they were disillusioned with the widespread corruption and lack

of opportunity for students there. Berlin was a natural decision for them since it’s such a cheap city to

live in (Visit Berlin, 2010); they were all able to rent an apartment, renovate it themselves, take morning

German classes, work part-time, and socialise within the city’s Italian community. They demonstrated to

me that Berlin’s label of “cool” and “young” (Visit Berlin) is not just rhetorical, not only does the city

welcome any nationality, but it also provides them with a standard of living few other places could, an

environment in which people of any background really can chase their dreams.

Bibliography

DW-World. (2009, June 17). Students Protest Across Germany Against Education Reforms. Retrieved

December 2010, from DW-World: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4328767,00.html

Land and Law Society. (2007). Race and Racism in Berlin – Past and Present. Retrieved December 2010,

from the Land and Law Society: http://www.lawandsociety.org/ann_mtg/am07/savelsberg.htm

Visit Berlin. (2010, April). Young, Renowned, Cool – Berlin is Europe’s New Fashion Metropolis. Retrieved

December 2010 from the Land and Law Society: http://traveltrade.visitberlin.de/en/news-

release/young-renowned-cool-%E2%80%93-berlin-is-europe%E2%80%99s-new-fashion-metropolis

Learning Log 4: Survey of the treatment of British news in the media of

the student's host country I have found the treatment of British news in the German media to be a bit more left-leaning than in England. To me this is unsurprising, because political attitudes in Germany, and indeed the rest of Western Europe, are more liberal and social-democratic when compared to Britain. A good example is this article from "Der Spiegel", http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,693491,00.html which

Tom Clark

reports on the British election last year. The article is about the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg, who found themselves in a unique position last year when the election produced a hung parliament, thus requiring the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition with either Labour or the Conservatives. The article portrays Clegg in a very positive light, and seemingly welcomes the way he stirred up the election last year and challenged the status quo of British party politics, which many in Germany find particularly archaic. The article goes so far as to draw comparisons between Clegg and Obama, both of whom used similar slogans and rhetoric. Furthermore, the article states that the most poignant area of comparison is the "kleinen Revolution (small revolution)" that both politicians represent; Obama as being the first black president, and Clegg as advocating electoral reform. Being a country that uses a semi-proportional electoral system, Germany tends portray electoral reform in England in a very favourable light. This Spiegel article is very typical of this, describing electoral reform as revolutionary, and comparing it on equal terms with the election of a black president. Lastly, the article warmly welcomes the fact that Clegg "denkt wie ein Kontinentaleuropaeer (thinks like a continental European)" due to his past experience working in the EU. Britain has, the article continues, increasingly distanced itself from the continent, seeing electoral reform "als etwas typisch Europaeisches (as something typically European)". This is further demonstration of the dimension in which the German media presents British news; firstly by establishing it in a more European framework, and secondly by advocating moves, such as electoral reform, that bring Britain closer to European/left-leaning sensibilities. This article on www.dw-world.de (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5178487,00.html) is further demonstrative of a German perspective on British news. The article focuses on the International Afghanistan Conference in London in January 2010, which was hailed by Guido Westerwelle, Germany's Foreign Minister, as a "turning point" for self-governance in Afghanistan. It is clear, then, that the conference is being reported through the perspective of Germany's participation in it. Furthermore, the article reports Germany's contribution as very positive; Westerwelle's advocacy of self-governance led the conference to announce extra monetary aid to the Afghan reintegration programme, as well as the affirmation of goals for Afghan "security leadership". This is indeed consistent with German political beliefs, which are (generally speaking) less in favour of military intervention and more inclined towards diplomacy and aid. There is a noticeable contrast with BBC reporting on the same conference http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8482264.stm, which focuses on Angela Merkel's hesitance to withdraw troops too quickly, something completely absent from the DW World article. To a greater extent the article also emphasises the continuing security threat from Afghanistan and the need to ensure stability. This is of course more consistent with a broader British agenda which lends greater support to military intervention in the region. Lastly, this article from "Bild" (http://www.bild.de/BILD/lifestyle/reise/2010/07/hass-airports/ranking-unbeliebt-london-paris.html) reports on Heathrow Airport being one of the most unpopular airports in the world. In contrast to the previous two examples I have discussed, "Bild" is a tabloid newspaper, and therefore reports things in a generally less serious manner, much like the "Sun" or the "Daily Mail". This article caught my attention because it writes about Heathrow Airport in a negative way. By contrast, the British press tends to portray Heathrow in a more positive light, largely because it is one of the busiest and biggest airports in the world, providing many jobs and bolstering the British economy. It also under intense competition from other European "hubs" such as Schiphol Airport in Holland, and attracts disproportionate support from the British media as a result. Much like the previous two examples, this article demonstrates what British news looks like without any patriotic bias and from a more objective standpoint.

Tom Clark

Bibliography

BBC. (2010, January). UN Eases Sanctions on Five Taliban Leaders. Retrieved 2011, from BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8482264.stm

Bild. (2010). Unbeliebten Flughaefen. Retrieved 2011, from Bild:

http://www.bild.de/BILD/lifestyle/reise/2010/07/hass-airports/ranking-unbeliebt-london-paris.html

DW World. (2010, January). Germany Hails London Conference as "Turning Point" for Afghanistan.

Retrieved 2011, from DW World: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5178487,00.html

Spiegel Online. (2010, May 5). Britannias Koenigmacher. Retrieved 2011, from Spiegel Online:

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,693491,00.html

Learning Log 5: Reactions to the teaching of and approach taken to the student's

academic disciplines at their host university

My experience of teaching practice in Berlin has reflected an educational approach quite different to those in Exeter and the UK in general. To begin with, classes last for much longer; the majority of my seminars have been two hours long, and my language courses consist of a weekly four hour session. The result of this is a very in-depth discussion of the topic at hand. Indeed the class itself is much more a discussion than an actual lesson; at Exeter a great deal of my politics seminars functioned more as ways for the teacher to explain and clarify a particular topic, and to answer any questions students had about particularly confusing parts of it. Conversely, in my seminars at Humboldt, a small group of students is selected to present each week, and this very much "sets the agenda" for the rest of the class, in which students engage with each other and swap their opinions on particular matters, with the seminar leader acting more as an arbiter than anything else. The seminars I have taken part in have also been of varying sizes. In Exeter all of my seminars were of a similar size - usually around fifteen or so. At Humboldt however, seminar sizes can range from five to fifty. This is due in large part to the greater range of modules on offer, and consequently the greater flexibility offered to students, who can tailor their degree programme to their individual strengths and interests. The direct result of a greater range and number of modules is that some are very popular and others are not. This means teaching styles in Humboldt differ greatly, as seminar leaders have to adapt to the size of their classes, as well as the subject matter. In Exeter the teaching style is roughly the same from seminar to seminar, with all teachers roughly following a general class structure and approach, due to the smaller variety of modules. My first impression of study at Humboldt was one which expected students to be more independent learners. We were seemingly given more to read and were expected to have greater knowledge and understanding of the subject in each seminar, in order to have the more in-depth discussions that I described above. Having been at Humboldt for a whole semester however, my opinion on this has now changed. Whilst we are occasionally given more to read, it isn’t a great deal more than at Exeter. Most importantly, however, I realised that our understanding of the subject was meant to develop through our discussions with one another; in other words, it is OK not to fully understand something at the

Tom Clark

beginning of the seminar. I realised that at Humboldt teachers use student discussion, engagement and interaction as a substitute for directly explaining the subject to you, this results in a more dynamic and interesting learning experience. The main reason I thought it was harder at first was that it was something new which I wasn’t use to. Combined with the fact that I was in a new country with unfamiliar surroundings, I was bound to think that everything was harder than it actually was. Having now become accustomed to teaching methods at Humboldt however, I have come to appreciate this slightly different approach to teaching.

Contents

2 An ERASMUS student’s guide to Berlin

2 “Poor, but sexy”

2 Accommodation

5 Starting your new life in Berlin

10 Things to do in Berlin

13 Evaluation of my year abroad

13 Living

15 Learning

18 Language

18 Bustling, brilliant and beautiful

19 Bibliography

20 Websites listed

Learning Log Reflection on the student's period abroad and what they have gained from it, together with a guide for

other students visiting the same institution

tc255 6/10/2011

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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An ERASMUS Student’s Guide to Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin

For Humboldt University’s full, comprehensive guide to being an ERASMUS student, click here: http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser

“Poor, but sexy”

Talk to anyone, or read anything, about Berlin, and you’ll be told that it’s an “up and coming city”; a city catching up to its Western rivals since the Wall came down. In my opinion, this is slightly off the mark. Berlin has already “come up”. It is already both equal to and better than its competitors in many senses. It offers a vibrancy and dynamism that is absent from a London avenue or Parisian boulevard. Walk the streets of Berlin and you’ll revel in the energy, youth and vitality of the city; the freedom you feel in Berlin is unparalleled elsewhere. There isn’t enough space here to describe just how good it is, but rest-assured you have selected a fantastic place in which to spend a year. (Above, the Oberbaumbruecke in Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain). For overviews and general information about Berlin: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/berlin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin http://www.berlin.de/international/index.en.php/ http://berlin.unlike.net/ http://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/berlin

Accommodation

Before you go Before you go to Berlin, it’s a good idea to organise some sort of accommodation. There are a good number of useful websites with which you can find a flat in Berlin.

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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The one I found most helpful was http://www.wg-gesucht.de/, but other recommended sites include: http://www.studenten-wg.de/Berlin,wgs.html http://www.wgcompany.de/cgi-bin/seite?st=1&mi=540&li=100 http://www.immowelt.de/immobilien/immosuchedetail.aspx?geoid=108110&etype=16&esr=2 I was able to arrange a “Zwischenmiete” in

the weeks leading up to my departure. This

literally translates as “between rent” and

involves a temporary tenancy in an

apartment. Most last for between 2 to 3

weeks. Some last longer however; I was

able to find one for 6 weeks (right).

Zwischenmietes are arranged relatively informally, and are very advantageous

for ERASMUS students as a result. I was able to arrange mine via email before I

left for Germany, and I paid my rent after I had arrived. Once you’ve arrived in

your temporary apartment, you can then embark on finding a permanent place

for the rest of the year (now that you’re in the city, you’ll be able to view

potential flats and meet potential flat mates in person).

Finding somewhere permanent

It is of course possible to choose Humboldt’s own halls of residence, on which

more information can be found here:

http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/04/04_04_01

I would advise not to live in halls unless you’ve run out of options. My friends

both in Berlin and other European cities who chose this option found that halls

were often quite isolating and far away from the city centre; they moved out at

the first available opportunity.

Having read a bit about Berlin

before I set out, I decided that

I’d most want to live in a flat

in one of three districts of the

city: Kreuzberg,

Friedrichschain (left) or

Prenzlauer Berg. These areas

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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are undoubtedly Berlin’s “cool” areas: they arguably have the best bars, clubs

and are the most vibrant and interesting (Cityseekr, 2011).

What I didn’t realise was just how competitive it would be to live in these

places. I would often be one of at least ten other people wanting to live in a

particular apartment. Such popularity meant that the prices were higher than

average too. The difficulty I experienced in finding an apartment meant that I

spent a disproportionate amount of time traipsing around the city viewing

apartments. I was also under a lot of stress to find somewhere to live before

the tenancy on my zwischenmiete apartment ran out.

My advice would be that if you have your heart set on an apartment in a more

popular area of the city, don’t discount other districts in the city; they are often

cheaper and can still be great places to live. The stress you may save yourself

by settling for an apartment elsewhere may well compensate for settling for

somewhere that isn’t quite perfect, but still a great place to live.

Here is some more information on the different parts of Berlin: http://www.inyourpocket.com/germany/berlin/berlins-districts_54822f

http://berlin.cityseekr.com/cityguide/district-guide-1

http://www.alphare.net/memos/BERLIN_DISTRICTS.pdf (in-depth information and statistics)

Viewing

Viewing an apartment is not only an opportunity for you to see a potential

place to live, it’s also an opportunity for the sub-letter or landlord to see if you

would make a good tenant. If your German isn’t fluent yet, don’t feel reluctant

to speak in English; this won’t cause any offence, and it will allow you to

communicate better with the other person.

Beware of fraudsters!

Some people who advertise apartments will claim that they aren’t in Berlin,

but will offer to send you a key in the post once you have sent them a deposit.

Stay away from these people! As a rule of thumb, if you can’t view the flat and

meet the sub-letter before you move in, you shouldn’t part with any money.

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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Staying in a hostel

If, for example, your new tenancy or zwischenmiete starts on a Monday, and

it’s cheaper or more convenient to fly out to Berlin on the preceding Saturday,

then you can take advantage of Berlin’s network of youth hostels, which are

relatively cheap and available in most parts of the city.

There are dozens of websites you can use to find hostels in Berlin: http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/berlin/?gclid=CJb8kazGrKsCFZQOfAodhh1Q5Q

http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Berlin?source=broadmatchcityhostels&gclid=CLLO25quzasCFY

IMfAodLl-B1g

http://www.budgetplaces.com/berlin/budget-hostels-

list/?cur=GBP&gclid=CNPJ9q2uzasCFQMPfAodMiCpzw

Starting your new life in Berlin

Brushing up on your German

I didn’t feel my German was up to scratch before I left for Berlin, so I registered

for an intensive German language course (Intensivkurs Deutsch als

Fremdsprache) run by Humboldt University, which began 3 weeks before the

start of term. I found the course to be a great way to ease me in to life in Berlin.

All the other students on the course were international students who were in

the same boat as me, and so it was very easy to make friends.

More information on the intensive language can be found here:

http://www.international.hu-berlin.de/sprachen/deutsch/intensivkurs

By the end of the course, all aspects of my German (listening, speaking, reading

and writing) had improved to a great

extent, as had my confidence. I was now

able to have semi-fluent conversations

with other people, and felt much more

prepared to begin study at Humboldt.

(Right, me having a drink with some

friends from my language course).

The only negative side of the course was

that it cost €400 to do. While the cost is fairly high, it is partly justified by the

intensive nature of the course; it runs for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week for 3

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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weeks. The cost also includes various cultural activities, such as a trip to the

theatre, the Pergamon museum and free entry to an ERASMUS party held at

the end of the course.

If €400 is still too much for you, but you still want to do a German language

course, there are a number of companies around Berlin which offer them for

much smaller prices: http://www.german-courses.com/

http://www.goethe.de/ins/de/ort/ber/kur/deindex.htm

http://www.did.de/

Other ways to practise your German

Practising and developing my German in Berlin wasn’t as easy as I initially

thought. Here are a few tips for keep your language at a high standard.

1. Sign up to the Tandem (Sprachboerse) language partner programme

offered at Humboldt:

http://www.international.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu/studierende/orbis/sprachboerse

2. Sign up to the Mentor (Studis4Studis) programme offered at Humboldt,

which will also give you a point of contact should you need help with

anything:

http://www.international.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu/studierende/orbis/studis4studis

3. Try and find an apartment with a German flat mate

4. Read, watch and listen to as much German as you can. DW-World is a

good place to start: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,265,00.html

5. Join a university sports club, a great place to make some new German

friends: http://www.zeh.hu-berlin.de/angebot.html

6. Find a job. Employment of international students is subject to strict

regulations, but there are many youth hostels, cafes and bars that flout

the rules.

Modules

The next task you have is to select your modules. You will be able to view all

available modules on “AGNES” (Humboldt’s dedicated module website): http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/06/06_01_01

There is a much greater breadth of modules to choose from at Humboldt, not

only in terms of academic specialism, but also in terms of teaching format and

level. You can choose from modules which are taught in lectures, seminars, or a

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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mixture of the two. You can choose modules which are assessed in exams, or

coursework and presentation, or a research-based dissertation. Finally you can

pick introductory modules (there are some specifically designed for new

ERASMUS students), mid-level modules, or more advanced modules, you can

even choose Masters modules. Furthermore, there are modules available

which are taught in English, and other modules in which seminars are led in

German, but the reading lists are in English.

Depending on the level of the module, some weekly seminars will be an hour

long, others will be four. The amount of choice on offer is a welcome change

from the more structured approach to teaching at Exeter, and it allows you to

study things you wouldn’t have otherwise been able to Exeter. It really gives

you the ability to tailor your learning not only around what you’re interested in

and how much you already know, but also around your language confidence

and ability.

ECTS Credits

Exeter requires you to take at least 50 ECTS credits at Humboldt. Most modules

are worth around 5-7 ECTS credits, but may be worth up to 15 if they are

advanced or require more work. As a rule of thumb however, you should be

aiming to take between 4 and 5 per semester.

At the end of the semester, you will receive a “Schein” (certificate) from your

course leader. This confirms that you have completed the module, gives your

score, and states how many ECTS credits it is worth. It is highly important that

you hold on to your Schein and keep it in a safe place; the university won’t

have its own records of what you’ve achieved, and doesn’t create copies of the

Scheins it distributes. At the end of the year, you can use your Scheins to create

a Transkript, which you will need to bring back to Exeter as evidence that

you’ve completed your year.

More information on studying at Humboldt can be found on the following

pages: General advice and tips: http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/06/06_01

Teaching formats: http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/06/06_02

Assessment: http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/06/06_03

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

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Opening your bank account

There are a number of banks in Berlin with which you can open an account. I

would recommend Sparkasse, purely because they have the largest number of

cash points and branches in the city. Opening an account with them is relatively

straight forward as long as you have identification with you.

One particular note of caution is that when you open your account, the bank

will send you two letters, the first containing your new bank card, the second

containing its PIN. It is not uncommon for postmen to steal these letters and

then the money in your account (this actually happened to one of my friends).

Ask the bank when to expect each of the letters, and if you don’t receive them

within their quoted timeframe, seek immediate assistance.

Transferring money from the UK to a German bank is a surprisingly arduous

affair, which cannot be done online. The best option is to get one of your

parents, or a trusted friend, to do it on your behalf, and to transfer a relatively

large amount in one go; given the transfer fees UK banks impose, it works out

cheaper to do it this way.

More information can be found here:

Humboldt’s official advice on opening a bank account:

http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/wegweiser/05/05_01_05 Berliner Sparkasse’s official website: https://banking.berliner-sparkasse.de/portal/portal/Starten

Visiting home

Whilst Berlin often feels like a completely different world, it isn’t actually very

far from England, which makes visiting home relatively cheap and easy.

The two main airports in Berlin are Tegel and Schoenefeld.

At time of writing both Ryanair and EasyJet fly to Schoenefeld; Ryanair from

East Midlands Airport, London Stansted and Edinburgh; EasyJet from Gatwick,

Luton and Liverpool. These are your best options for budget travel, and if you

book far ahead enough in advance, you can get return flights from around £30.

Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to check what else is on offer, in case there are

any one off bargains with other airlines.

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The best websites for price comparison are: http://www.kayak.co.uk/

http://www.skyscanner.net/ http://www.lastminute.com/

To plan your journey from the airport to the city centre, use www.bvg.de. This

is an easy-to-use website for planning journeys in Berlin using the S-bahn, U-

bahn, bus, tram or regional train.

A quick guide to Berlin’s transport network

Berlin’s transport system is efficient, user-friendly and

highly convenient. Unlike London, the city’s

underground service is not all-encompassing, forcing

Berliners to mix and match the services they use on a

longer commute.

Travelling by rail, you can use the U-Bahn (underground

railway) or the S-Bahn (light railway). The S-Bahn is less

frequent than the U-Bahn, but is more spacious and

covers larger distances. One of the S-Bahn’s most useful

lines is the Ring, which encircles the city centre, taking

roughly an hour to do a full loop. Both rail systems run

from early morning until midnight, and at weekends

they run all night.

Particularly in the eastern parts of the city, trams and

buses are also very useful ways of getting around, but

they do travel far slower during rush hour.

The final method of transportation is the double-decker

regional trains, which are commuter trains connecting

Berlin’s centre with its outskirts and nearby settlements

such as Brandenburg.

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

10

More information on Berlin’s public transport system, including tickets and

fares, can be found here: http://berlin.barwick.de/travel-transport/public-transport.html

Things to do in Berlin

As you can imagine, in a city of Berlin’s size, there’s lots to do. Whether it’s a

game of pool in an old eastern factory or a trip to an “urban beach”, Berlin has

something for everyone.

Nightlife

Berlin is widely recognized to have the best nightlife in Europe (The Guardian,

2011). Clubs and bars are

open all night, or until the

early hours at least. This is

a most-welcome benefit

over Exeter, where you can

only stay out until 2-3am at

the latest. (Left, some

friends at a jazz club)

Tresor is one of my

favourite clubs in Berlin, located near the centre of the city in an old power

station. It’s a maze of tunnels and

steps leading to different rooms

and bars, one of which offers a

peek-hole of the rest of the

factory, gigantic and voluminous

in its eerie abandon. It’s an

incredible place to be and a

brilliant night out. http://tresorberlin.com/

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

11

There are hundreds of other clubs, too numerous and varied to list here,

offering music from Bollywood to Drum N Bass. No doubt with a bit of

exploration you will find some hidden gems.

For more information on Berlin’s night life: Includes a search engine to find the club or bar that suits your mood:

http://www.clubguideberlin.de/english/clubguide/clubguide.php

For the most hotly recommended places: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/berlin+bars

Beaches

“Beaches” are also unique

to Berlin. They are

outdoor bars, usually

located near a river or

lake, which resemble

beaches, in that they are

full of sand, deck chairs,

and sun shades. They are perfect for a summer evening drink with your friends.

More information: http://www.60by80.com/berlin/beaches/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jul/14/saturday.berlin

Spreepark Plaenterwald

One of Berlin’s lesser-known attractions is Spreepark Plaenterwald, an

abandoned theme park in the

eastern district of Treptow.

Opened in the 1960s during the Cold

War, the park was closed towards the

end of the 1990s and has been ever

since.

You can book a tour around the park

on Sundays, or have a more unofficial

viewing of your own. The latter

option involves jumping over a fence and evading security, but I can assure you

it is more fun. http://www.berliner-spreepark.de/

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

12

Going further afield

Living in Berlin is a great opportunity to see other parts of Germany and

Europe. You can go skiing in Freiburg (http://www.skiclub-freiburg.de/), take a trip to

Oktoberfest in Munich (http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/), or maybe cross the border

to Poland.

Train travel can be quite expensive in Germany; however getting a group ticket

can seriously reduce your expenditure: http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/group_discount.shtml

Alternatively you can catch a bus: http://www.deutsche-bus.de/

For really cheap travel, use http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ to grab a lift with

someone willing to offer a seat in their car.

And everything else…

There are thousands of other things to see and do in Berlin, here are a few

more recommendations: Berlin’s famous flea markets:http://www.berlinfo.com/lifetime/shopping/flea_markets/index.htm

Devil’s Mountain: http://offtrackbackpacking.com/2010/12/10/off-the-beaten-track-in-berlin-

germany-%E2%80%9Cdevil%E2%80%99s-mountain%E2%80%9D/

Live music: http://www.eventim.de/

Kulturbrauerei: http://ww w.kulturbrauerei.de/

Berlin’s squat scene: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jul/12/berlin-squat-music-food-parties

Football in the Olympic Stadium: http://www.livefootballtickets.com/city/berlin-tickets.html

Flughafen Tempelhof: http://www.berlin.de/orte/sehenswuerdigkeiten/flughafen-

tempelhof/index.en.php

(Right, going to see Berlin’s

Hertha football club play at

the Olympic Stadium was one

of my highlights (link above)).

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

13

Evaluation of my year Abroad

Berlin always had a special place in my mind before I left for my year abroad. I’d

visited a few years before and loved it, and in spite of a few nerves prior to

leaving, I’d been looking forward to spending a year there for a very long time.

Learning

Before departing from England I’d already

managed to arrange a “zwischenmiete”

apartment for myself using the WG-Gesucht

website (http://www.wg-gesucht.de/). I felt very

good about finding and arranging this for

myself, and this feeling was heightened when

I moved in; the apartment was in many ways

the best I could have hoped for: it was in a

great location of the city (Kreuzberg), I didn’t

have to pay too much, and it provided a

pleasant atmosphere to live in. A few days

after moving in I started my German language

class at Humboldt. I was now meeting and

socialising with other English and international

students who were in the same boat as me,

and with five hours of German class each day

for the next three weeks, my confidence in

speaking the language was constantly

improving. I feel like I got off to a very good

start in Berlin; within days of arriving I was

feeling very positive about my decision to

study abroad, the anxiety that’d preceded my

departure had seemingly evaporated. (Above

right, the street I was staying on during my

zwischenmiete tenancy; above left, the view from outside my apartment block).

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

14

During this time I needed to find a permanent apartment in Berlin. I limited my

search to three areas of the city: Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer

Berg. From what I’d read about Berlin, these were the best places to live in

(Cityseekr, 2011). There were many apartments available to view in these

areas, but the interest in them was very high; not only were they incredibly

popular districts, it was also September, a time of year in which many people

are looking for new apartments. My chances of beating the competition were

slim, and this was reflected in the fact that by the time I eventually found an

apartment, I’d already unsuccessfully viewed around fifteen others.

Having talked to my friends in Berlin, as well as others who’ve studied

elsewhere in Europe, there seems to be a consensus that apartment hunting

was one of the most challenging aspects of going abroad. It was definitely

something I knew least about before I left. Some people I’ve spoken to had to

stay in a hostel for a whole month before they eventually found an apartment.

Others I know had arranged to stay in halls of residence offered by their

respective university, but moved out at the first opportunity because it was

often quite far from the city centre and was a very difficult environment in

which to make friends. Whilst I know some people who had very few problems

finding accommodation, there seems to be a good number of people, including

myself, who suffered from a lack of knowledge about what to expect when

searching for an apartment on Study Abroad.

The apartment I settled for was

relatively expensive, undergoing

repairs, and inhabited by four

Italian immigrants. This was

obviously not ideal for me, not

least because none of them could

speak German, depriving me of

some very useful German

speaking practice. None of them

could speak English particularly

well either, and so it became

quite difficult to communicate with them. In all honesty I didn’t much enjoy

living in this apartment, I felt quite isolated by my four flatmates. At a time

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

15

when I was still finding my feet in Berlin, I found this to be particularly

frustrating, and at times upsetting. I stayed in this apartment until December,

and then moved back into my previous apartment, which had now become

available until July of the following year.

Nevertheless I was able to draw some positives from the experience. I was

given an insight into the Italian community in Berlin, which to my surprise was

the 4th largest ethnic group in Berlin, numbering at around 14 000 (earth.org,

2011). Talking to my flatmates, it became clear that they felt disillusioned by

the political and societal infrastructure in Italy, which had become riddled with

corruption, nepotism and elitism (Reuters, 2010).

One of my flatmates, Igor, had come to Berlin to set up a restaurant with his

friends. They had enough money to rent the building for three months and

prepare it to open for business. The low cost of living in Berlin, in addition to

their eligibility to generous welfare, gave them time and space that simply

wouldn’t be available to a New Yorker or a Parisian (Eurocentres, 2008).

For them Berlin was the perfect antidote to Italy’s problems; a vibrant city

bursting with youthful exuberance, welcoming all and allowing its inhabitants

to live without the financial pressures that are so characteristic of the capital’s

contemporaries (Nigerian Best Forum, 2010).

Learning

There were some differences in the teaching methods employed at Humboldt,

but generally it was fairly similar to my experiences in Exeter. All of my classes

were taught in seminars, each of which was two hours long. Because of these

longer time slots, seminars could go into more detail, and there were more

opportunities for lively debate. Additionally the seminars gave me the

opportunity to speak German in a more academic context, which was difficult

and daunting, but ultimately very satisfying.

I found the politics modules I took at Humboldt very challenging because they

were conducted in German. Studying politics often involves concepts and ideas

that can take some thought to fully understand; I found that learning in

German could make this process even more complicated and at times

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

16

frustrating. To ease the pressure on myself therefore, I decided to take a

seminar taught in English too. As time went on I was able to understand more

and more, but I nevertheless felt that my experiences would alternate

between understanding a seminar well and not understanding it at all. My

international friends in Berlin had similar feelings, and it was often remarked

that losing concentration for 10 seconds meant losing track of the class for the

next 10 minutes. Overall I’d describe the learning process at Humboldt as one

of polar extremes: at times immensely testing, at others immeasurably

rewarding.

One of the biggest things that struck me about Humboldt was the vastly

different approach to higher education there, this was not only reflected in the

learning at Humboldt, but also in the attitudes of the students I talked to. I

quickly learnt that there was a big divide between the conceptions of university

in England and continental Europe. Whilst it is currently being reformed

through the Bologna Process to resemble the Anglo-American university

model, the old system is still clearly on display, largely because a quarter of all

academic programmes in Germany are still structured in the old “Diplom”

format (DW-World, 2010) .

The German Diplom (or “Magister”) degree differs mainly in the ability to tailor

your degree. Once students enroll at Humboldt, they must study a particular

number of credits within their department each year. This quota is much

smaller than it is at Exeter however, and so students have the option to study a

much greater number of modules outside their school. The degree is awarded

once a student reaches a certain number of credits in a particular subject area.

Students typically take five or six years to achieve a Magister (the Euros, 2008),

though some I met had taken ten years. The flexibility that students enjoy in

Germany is compounded by inexpensive tuition fees, which at Humboldt are

€272 per semester (HU Berlin, 2011). This means that it is much more

affordable to spend a greater amount of time studying there.

The perception of university in England is, I feel, very similar to and partially

informed by that in America. In the UK, university is seen to be as much of a

“life experience” as it is an educational one. I grew up with American “college

movies”, which portray a very similar image. There’s a stereotypical “student

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

17

life” in people’s minds: involving heavy drinking, joining societies, lying in bed

all day, and so on.

My impression of university in Germany was different to this. There is less of a

social aspect and it is seen more as a place to educate yourself. At Humboldt I

definitely noticed that there were far fewer societies and student activities

than at Exeter. Nevertheless, student activism was very much present; this

involved academic talks, discussions and forums, as well as marches and

meetings. It seemed that extracurricular student activity at Humboldt was

largely academic; university did not encompass every aspect of a student’s life

as it does in the UK.

I think there are clear disadvantages to the Bologna Process and the way we

often view higher education in England. The Bologna Process is frequently

criticised for creating degrees which pack too much work into a short space of

time, which has had a detrimental effect on drop-out rates in Germany (DW-

World, 2010). Furthermore, one of my German friends in Berlin often

commented on how I was worrying too much about my career, especially given

my age of just 22. At 25, he had just finished his Magister at Freie Universitaet

Berlin, and was now considering whether to do postgraduate study or get a

job. He was also a successful freelance journalist, often writing articles in the

Feuilleton section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine (http://www.faz.net/) and the

Sueddeutsche Zeitung (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/), both of which are highly-

regarded newspapers in Germany. Whilst he was undeniably talented, I

thought that a significant factor in his success was the time he’d had to develop

his journalism during his degree. It struck me that he’d taken maximum

advantage of this to find a path that best suited him.

At Humboldt and German universities more widely, students are given the

flexibility and the time to find their own way through both higher education

and the early years of adulthood. They can tailor their degree and learning

experience to something that is more focused and individualised for them. I

have a lot of friends at Exeter who, come 3rd year, often remark that they’ve

only just worked out how to “do” university; i.e. being able to manage the

workload and balancing it with a good social life. It seems a bit unfortunate to

me that many students only achieve this in their final year. In German higher

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

18

education, the extra amount of time students can take with their degree

ameliorates this problem.

Language

Before leaving for Berlin, I assumed that my German would naturally improve

until I become fluent. My language competency did indeed increase rapidly

during my first 6 or so weeks in the city, but from that point onwards it began

to plateau. I found that to improve it from this point onwards would now

require much more effort, and would no longer be as natural as it initially was.

This was also a view shared by my friends in Berlin. A particular problem was

how international Berlin itself was (earth.org, 2011); we’d often discuss the

fact that between us we didn’t know that many native German speakers.

Sometimes it was very easy to slip into a routine of not speaking German on a

regular basis, particularly when I was under a lot of pressure for one reason or

another. It could often be very exhausting to have a conversation in German,

and on the occasional evening I would sometimes just want to talk in English.

This was even easier given how widely English is spoken in Germany.

Whilst my language competency vastly improved, it wasn’t fully fluent by the

end of the year, a feeling echoed by many of my English friends in Berlin. On

reflection, I feel that if I’d been a bit more pro-active and persistent in

practising my German, my language ability could have developed to a better

standard than it is now.

Bustling, brilliant and beautiful

Berlin still has a special place in my heart, spending a year there has only

deepened my affection for it. It has a dynamism and a vigour that truly makes

it stand out among other Western capitals; it is bustling, brilliant, and

beautiful.

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

19

There are many things I would

do differently were I to go and

study in Berlin again, however I

have gotten a lot from living

there. Study Abroad has given

me confidence to be able to live

comfortably and happily in

another country, and

confidence in the face of

challenging circumstances. I

have a renewed zeal to

continue to travel and discover

new places. The people I met and the experiences I had have given me a better

insight into what I want from my life, and how to get it. It was a privilege to live

in Berlin last year, and hopefully, at some point in the future, I will be able to

call it home once more.

Bibliography Cityseekr. (2011). Berlin - District Guide. Retrieved October 2011, from Cityseekr:

http://berlin.cityseekr.com/cityguide/district-guide-1

DW-World. (2010, January). Study finds stress leads students to drop out of new bachelor programs.

Retrieved September 2011, from DW-World: http://www.dw-

world.de/dw/article/0,,5124027,00.html

earth.org. (2011). Ethnic Groups and Communities, Berlin. Retrieved October 2011, from earth.org:

http://www.earth.org/travel-guide/Berlin/ethnic-groups-communities

Eurocentres. (2008). Living Expenses and other Costs. Retrieved October 2011, from Eurocentres -

Language Learning Worldwide: http://www.eurocentres-

berlin.de/Berlin/en/home/Living_Expenses_and_other_Costs,41.html

HU Berlin. (2011, June). 5.1.4 Payment of standard fees and dues. Retrieved September 2011, from

Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin: http://docs.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-

en/wegweiser/05/05_01_04?set_language=en&cl=en

Nigerian Best Forum. (2010, August). BERLIN: SO YOUNG, SO BEAUTIFUL, SO FREE. Retrieved

October 2011, from Nigerian Best Forum:

http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/generaltopics/?p=57579

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

20

Reuters. (2010, February). Corruption is surging in Italy, says state auditor. Retrieved October 2011,

from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/17/us-italy-corruption-

idUSTRE61G3XU20100217

the Euros. (2008, June). The Bologna Accord : Do we need a European university policy ? Retrieved

September 2011, from the Euros: http://www.theeuros.eu/1726-The-Bologna-Accord-Do-we-

need,1726.html?lang=fr

The Guardian. (2011, August). Berlin Club Land: Can Anywhere Beat it? Retrieved October 2011, from

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/aug/17/berlin-club-scene-best

Websites Listed

Humboldt’s full comprehensive guide to Berlin:

http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-

en/wegweiser

Other guides to Berlin:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/berlin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin

http://www.berlin.de/international/index.en.ph

p/ http://berlin.unlike.net/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/berlin http://www.wg-gesucht.de/

Finding apartments in Berlin:

http://www.studenten-wg.de/Berlin,wgs.html http://www.wgcompany.de/cgi-

bin/seite?st=1&mi=540&li=100 http://www.immowelt.de/immobilien/immosuc

hedetail.aspx?geoid=108110&etype=16&esr=

2

The districts of Berlin:

http://www.aia.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-

en/wegweiser/04/04_04_01 http://www.inyourpocket.com/germany/berlin/

berlins-districts_54822f

http://berlin.cityseekr.com/cityguide/district-

guide-1

http://www.alphare.net/memos/BERLIN_DIS

TRICTS.pdf

Finding a hostel in Berlin:

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/german

y/berlin/?gclid=CJb8kazGrKsCFZQOfAodhh1

Q5Q

http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Berlin?so

urce=broadmatchcityhostels&gclid=CLLO25q

uzasCFYIMfAodLl-B1g

http://www.budgetplaces.com/berlin/budget-

hostels-

list/?cur=GBP&gclid=CNPJ9q2uzasCFQMPf

AodMiCpzw

German speaking courses:

http://www.international.hu-

berlin.de/sprachen/deutsch/intensivkurs

http://www.german-courses.com/

http://www.goethe.de/ins/de/ort/ber/kur/deinde

x.htm

http://www.did.de/

Ways to improve your German in Berlin:

http://www.international.hu-

berlin.de/an_die_hu/studierende/orbis/spra

chboerse http://www.international.hu-

berlin.de/an_die_hu/studierende/orbis/stud

is4studis http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,,265,00.html

http://www.zeh.hu-berlin.de/angebot.html

Berliner Sparkasse’s official website:

https://banking.berliner-

sparkasse.de/portal/portal/Starten

Flight comparison websites:

http://www.kayak.co.uk/

http://www.skyscanner.net/ http://www.lastminute.com/

Public transport in Berlin

www.bvg.de

http://berlin.barwick.de/travel-

transport/public-transport.html

Tom Clark, Politics and Study Abroad Learning Log 05/10/2011

21

Berlin nightlife:

http://tresorberlin.com/ http://www.clubguideberlin.de/english/clubgui

de/clubguide.php

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/berlin+bars

Berlin’s beaches:

http://www.60by80.com/berlin/beaches/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jul/14/s

aturday.berlin

Skiing in Freiburg:

http://www.skiclub-freiburg.de/

Oktoberfest:

http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/

German train network:

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/g

ermany/group_discount.shtml

German bus network:

http://www.deutsche-bus.de/

Mitfahrgelegenheit:

http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ Other things to do in Berlin:

http://www.berlinfo.com/lifetime/shopping/fle

a_markets/index.htm

http://offtrackbackpacking.com/2010/12/10/off

-the-beaten-track-in-berlin-germany-

%E2%80%9Cdevil%E2%80%99s-

mountain%E2%80%9D/

http://www.eventim.de/ http://www.kulturbrauerei.de/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jul/12/

berlin-squat-music-food-parties

http://www.livefootballtickets.com/city/berlin-

tickets.html

http://www.berlin.de/orte/sehenswuerdigkeiten

/flughafen-tempelhof/index.en.php

Frankfurter Allgemeine:

http://www.faz.net/

Sueddeutsche Zeitung:

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/